The Colors of Spring
by JDominique37
Summary: At first glance, swimming and basketball seem quite different. However, sports are sports at the end of the day, and what starts out as differences, eventually transforms into a unity — for the love of sports.
1. Prologue

**Author's Note: Hey, guys! Here I am with a Christmas present . . . about spring. Well.**

 **This story was actually born in response to a fanzine I'm participating in. It's a crossover between _Kuroko no Basuke_ and _Free!_ with the theme of "spring." This story is kind of an extension of the story featured in the zine. You can find more information about the zine on Tumblr or Twitter at knbfreezine. Preorders open January 1st!**

 **Although most recently I've only been posting KnB series, Free! was actually the second anime I ever watched. An anime newbie, I accidentally watched the FrFr! special first. Luckily, Haru stripping wasn't enough to deter me from the show, and I finished the rest quickly after that. Although KnB still takes the top spot for sports anime, Free! is a close second.**

 **This is a really short story, only about 6K at the time. For right now, I'm only going to post the prologue to the story, but since it's so short, I'll update soon. Anyway, more on that later. Enjoy!**

* * *

 _Prologue_

* * *

It was the season of _hanami_ , and all around, tourists gasped in awe at the cherry pink petals floating in the wind. Nearly all the best flower-viewing spots were taken, blankets spread on the ground, picnic baskets groaning with weight.

In years past, _hanami_ had generally been a peaceful but fun time, where friends and family and strangers alike all gathered under the blossoms.

This year, however, would be different.

The group — which was not actually a group, but rather, a coincidental mix of people that should have no business being together — drew the eyes of everyone around.

It seemed that the "group" was split into two factions, arguing over a spot they both claimed they'd reached first. And so, for better or for worse, the two groups finally agreed to share the flower-viewing spot.

What happened next over the few hours could lightly be described as chaos.

It would first be prudent to introduce the two groups.

One look at the combined groups would likely send any girl home with a nosebleed. Both contained attractive young men, their variety of school uniforms not hiding the muscled bodies beneath.

The members of the group were clearly athletes, as could be seen in the competitive aura surrounding them. On one side, there was an array of hair colors resembling a rainbow and heights quite unusual for the average Japanese man — this was the basketball faction. On the other side were the swimmers: lithe bodies, bright, clear eyes, and no less the amount of unique personalities. The sports themselves, at first glance, seemed quite different. However, sports are sports at the end of the day, and what started out as differences, eventually transformed into a unity — for the love of sports.

* * *

 **A/N: Okay, so yeah, super short. But I'll try and post the next part soon!**

 **So a bit more for my super long A/N: Like I said, this story features nearly all the main Free!/KnB characters. Unfortunately, not all of these characters have a ton of information on them. So, I've chosen to focus on the characters I could write best, with short cameos and mentions of the others.**

 **A timing note:**

 **This story loosely takes place when —**

 **Kuroko and GoM are in their third year; Kagami has left for America (following the events of Last Game), but is visiting. Hyuuga, Kiyoshi, Izuki, and Riko are in college now (and we can assume Kiyoshi's either visiting or has healed up).**

 **For the Free! characters, this takes place roughly a year after the events of Dive to the Future. (If S3 took place at the beginning of their first college year, then they're now in their second year.) We can assume that Rin and Natsuya are also visiting.**

 **But really, logistics don't matter. Everyone's here and that's all that matters!**

 **~ J. Dominique**


	2. Makoto's Suggestion

**Author's Note: Hey, guys! As promised, here's the next part. Enjoy!**

* * *

 _Makoto_ _'s Suggestion_

* * *

What would a sakura viewing be without mingling?

At least, that's what Tachibana Makoto believed.

Having grown up with a rather large family (two younger siblings, plus a myriad of aunts, uncles, cousins, and grandparents), Makoto was used to a big gathering under the trees. He usually invited his best friend Haru as well, as his parents were often away on business trips.

However, this year was different. For one, Makoto was now college-aged, and several hours away from his original home. He felt bad about not going home to spend the season with Ren and Ran, but he was also excited to, just once, have a hanami with his friends.

It started when Rin had invited Haru and Makoto to see the flowers together. He'd mentioned that Sousuke and his old Samezuka teammates would be there and to invite anyone they wanted. So Makoto talked to his old teammates, from both his high school and middle school years.

As it turned out, nearly every important person in Makoto's swimming life ended up being there. Nagisa and Rei brought Gou and her new co-manager, Ayumu. Mikoshiba Momotarou, Makoto's old rival from Samezuka, invited his brother, who attended Hidaka University with Haru. Asahi had invited Kisumi. Ikuya had invited his friend Hiyori, and he'd also been followed by Makoto's old coaches from middle school: Kirishima Natsuya, Ikuya's brother, and Serizawa Nao.

As if this conglomeration of personalities wasn't enough, Rin, who had been in charge of securing them a picnicking spot, texted everyone with bad news. He had apparently gotten a spot, only to have someone else claim it as well.

Unfortunately, he had already messaged them previously with the location, bragging that he'd gotten the best spot, and everyone was too busy en route to see his second message.

So, now, everyone was at the spot, but instead of having a nice, wide blanket spread out and food ready, there was another large, colorful party waiting for them.

As Makoto surveyed the group, which was only slightly smaller than his own, he picked out a few key players.

First was a tall boy, who might even be taller than Makoto, with dark red hair and angry-looking eyebrows. He was have a shouting match with Rin, but for some unknown reason, they were speaking in English.

Second, there was a green-haired boy, also quite tall, with glasses similar to Rei's. To Makoto's bewilderment, he was holding a clothes hanger in his left hand. He had an irritated look on his face, perhaps caused by the black-haired boy beside him, who was laughing in amusement.

Makoto glanced at his best friend, Nanase Haruka. Haru was quiet as usual, observing the ongoings with an emotionless expression.

"D-do you think we should help?" Makoto asked, gesturing toward Rin and the red-haired boy.

Before Haru could answer, though, someone brushed past him and walked toward Rin. It was Yamazaki Sousuke, an almost-stern looking expression on his face.

Haru, who seemed to have some kind of complex when it came both to Rin and Sousuke, frowned. Showing his rare competitive side, he said, "Let's go, too."

Makoto nodded uneasily and followed Haru to where the argument was taking place.

Rin and the red-haired stranger had finally switched back to Japanese, although their tones were no less angry.

"Look," Rin said. "I was here first. I came here as early as I could! There's no way I'd miss you."

"No, I'm sure I was here first," the red-haired boy said.

"Actually —" a voice spoke up then, "I was here first."

Makoto nearly jumped out of his skin (and so did the red-haired stranger, who then shouted at the owner of the voice). He hadn't even noticed, but standing by the red-haired boy's side was a much smaller boy, with light blue hair and large blue eyes. Makoto wondered how he could've missed him.

Haru shifted beside Makoto, and although he didn't jump as Makoto had, his surprise was present as well.

"Oi," Rin said, also shocked at the sudden appearance of the blue-haired boy. "Where did you come from?"

"I've been here the whole time," the boy said. "Before you were ever here," he added.

Rin balked. "There's no way! I came here first thing this morning and staked out the place. It was going to be a few hours before everyone got here, so I—" He suddenly stopped, an embarrassed look on his face.

"Rin," Sousuke said. "Were you watching The Life of a Rat again?"

"O-of course not!" Rin blustered, but even at just the mention of the movie, he had a look of profound grief on his face. "That David, I tell you —"

Makoto thought he understood now. The blue-haired boy must've gotten here first, but due to his low presence, Rin hadn't noticed him. Rin, a notorious crier no matter how much he denied it, had then arrived and got distracted by the currently controversial Life of a Rat series.

Most likely, it was the blue-haired boy and his partner who held the rights to this spot. But Rin and his pride wouldn't allow that.

"Enough of this," another voice interjected. It was the green-haired boy holding the hanger. "As we're wasting time here, Akashi is on his way."

The red-haired boy paled at the name. "H-he's coming?"

"I invited everyone, Kagami-kun," said the blue-haired boy.

"Kuroko! Why did you do that? I was hoping to have a peaceful _hanami_!"

"We were, too!" Rin said. "And look, all of our group is here. That means we get priority."

Makoto didn't know if that's actually what it meant, but Rin looked proud of his argument.

Haru finally spoke up, but he wasn't talking to Makoto. He was facing the blue-haired boy. "I know you," he said.

The blue-haired boy — Kuroko? — nodded and gave a short bow. "Nanase-kun. I didn't expect to see you again so soon."

"You've met?" Makoto looked between the two. He hadn't heard anything of this.

"During Golden Week vacation," Haru said. "He was at the beach."

"That's right," Kuroko said. "I took your suggestion. I'm planning on attending Hidaka next year."

"What?" Makoto exclaimed. It seemed like there was something between Haru and this Kuroko, but he couldn't quite guess what.

Haru nodded, and Makoto got the idea that he was pleased. "Good. I'll see you then."

It was surprising that Haru had seen someone he knew that Makoto didn't also know, but that didn't stop the fact that they hadn't yet resolved the current issue.

Rin and the red-haired boy, Kagami, had dissolved back into arguing, with occasional interjections by the green-haired boy and Sousuke. The green-haired boy's partner was holding his stomach, almost doubled over in laughter.

Makoto didn't like conflict, but at this rate, it didn't seem like things were going anywhere.

"Why don't we just share the space?" he suggested.

Everyone stop and looked at him.

A blush immediately began to crawl up Makoto's cheeks. He hated attention.

"That's a good idea," Haru said. Makoto was eternally grateful for his support. "How about it, Rin?"

Rin didn't look happy about it, but he said, "Well . . ." He glanced at Kagami.

"That's a good solution," Kuroko said.

"I hate to say it, but it seems like the only option now," the green-haired boy said, sighing and adjusting his glasses.

The black-haired boy beside him finally spoke up. "I think it's a great idea! It's always nice to mingle during _hanami_ , eh, Shin-chan?"

There was something about the black-haired boy's voice that was unnervingly familiar, but Makoto couldn't place it.

"Don't call me that, Takao," the green-haired boy said testily.

So far, most people seemed to agree with Makoto's idea, to his relief. Only Rin and Kagami were still being stubborn.

"Fine," Kagami finally relented. "I guess it can't be helped. If we're going to be spending all day near each other, then I'm Kagami. Kagami Taiga." He held out his hand.

Rin reluctantly accepted it. "Matsuoka Rin," he said. "And this is Yamazaki Sousuke, Nanase Haruka, and Tachibana Makoto."

"Kuroko Tetsuya," said the blue-haired boy.

"And my name is Midorima Shintarou," the green-haired boy said. "This idiot beside me is Takao Kazunari."

Takao laughed, and once again, Makoto felt something strange inside him. Takao smothered his laughter and looked at Makoto, as if he too felt a weird connection between them.

Makoto pushed the feeling away and held an inner celebration, mentally preparing himself for what the rest of the day would bring.

It appeared the first hurdle was over, but there was no telling what would be next.

* * *

 **A/N: So I'm going to be referring to people a lot as "[color]-haired boy." Oh, well, can't be helped.**

 **The movie Rin was crying at was first introduced in Take Your Marks. I believe the Japanese would be _Nezumi no Isshou_ , which loosely translates to The Life of a Rat. Also, in case you didn't know, the reason Makoto is feeling a "strange connection" toward Takao is because they share the same voice actor, Suzuki Tatsuhisa. **

**Thanks to the people who followed me last time! Hope you enjoyed!**

 **~ J. Dominique**


	3. Girls' Day Out

**Author's Note: Hey, guys! Another short chapter here, so I'll try and get the next one up in a few days. Thanks, and enjoy!**

* * *

 _Girls_ _' Day Out_

* * *

Although the group was mainly of boys, there were in fact, four girls present. As girls do, they'd managed to separate themselves from the other sex and formed their own small group.

The four girls could be described as such:

A pink-haired goddess, with an envious form. Her gaze darted around, following a particular boy.

A girl with short brown hair and a figure she'd rather not talk about. She was appraising both groups of boys quite intently and filing quite impressive numbers into her mind.

A cute girl with magenta hair and — were those sparkles around her? She looked like she was about to faint, her hand over her mouth to keep her from squealing.

A dark-haired feminine form, who looked quite disappointed by the turn-out of muscled men.

The girls, who had introduced themselves to each other, all had their fair share with dealing with the rowdy crowd of boys in front of them. But even they seemed at a loss for what to do.

"I can't even see Kuroko anymore!" moaned the pink-haired girl. Her name was Satsuki Momoi, and apart from being a talented manager of Touou Academy, she also had an unhidden crush on the aforementioned Kuroko.

"Hey, do you think we could invite those boys over there to join us?" This came from Kunikida Ayumu. She pointed at a group of well-rounded men (literally).

Matsuoka Gou was next, offering Ayumu a handkerchief to wipe the drool from her mouth. (Gou herself had also used it, and at this rate, she might need another.) "I don't know why you'd want to," she said. "There's practically a feast before us! Look at all those—"

Before Gou could begin naming off her favorite muscles (as was her habit), Aido Riko interrupted. "Their forms are pretty good," she said thoughtfully, her finger on her chin. "But I can see definite improvement."

Their conversation continued as such — a hearty debate about muscles and exercise regimes and protein powder — and the four girls bonded and enjoyed their afternoon.

If only the same could be said for the boys.

* * *

 **A/N: Thanks for reading! Any thoughts are appreciated. :)**

 **~ J. Dominique**


	4. The Megane

_The Megane_

* * *

Introductions began slowly but surely. Surprising similarities were discovered as well as stark differences.

Hyuuga Junpei, however, was having a hard time coming to terms with the now-enlarged party. Although captain of his team at Seirin, Hyuuga had never actually felt like he was good at taking charge. He'd always thought Kiyoshi would've been a better leader, though he didn't tell him that.

If it was just Seirin and his friends, Hyuuga probably would've been fine. But despite his rough demeanor and infamous clutch mode, Hyuuga was actually quite introverted, and although he'd learned to perform under stress, there were still times when he felt like hiding away with his Sengoku figurines.

If he told Riko this, she'd laugh at him and push him into the crowd.

Hyuuga took a deep breath and pushed up his glasses. To his dismay, the closest person to him was Midorima Shintarou, one of the Generation of Miracles who notorious for his prickly personality.

(He was also a fellow megane-wearer, something Hyuuga tried to ignore.)

Midorima himself was looking a bit out of place, twirling his lucky item of the day around his fingers. His ever-present companion, Takao, was a few yards away chatting with a nervous-looking brown-haired boy. Hyuuga knew Midorima wasn't shy, but it didn't seem like he thrived on social situations either.

The next closest person to Hyuuga was a dark blue-haired boy, with red rectangular glasses perched on his nose. He was in an animated conversation with a silver-haired boy who, to Hyuuga's continued discomfort, was also wearing glasses.

(At this point, it could be said that a one Touno Hiyori saw the incidental gathering of megane and quickly exited the scene so he could not be compared to those nerds.)

Hyuuga decided he would have better luck with two strangers than Midorima Shintarou, so he cleared his throat and walked up to the pair.

The silver-haired boy spoke first. "Ah, hello. It's a beautiful day, isn't it? And it's always nice to meet new people." He smiled gently.

Hyuuga was reminded of Kiyoshi, a guy with an effortless friendliness. Hyuuga was sure Kiyoshi was making his way around, introducing himself to every person he didn't know.

"I'm Serizawa Nao," the boy said.

Hyuuga introduced himself in turn, then fell into an awkward silence.

The dark blue-haired boy eyed Hyuuga and pushed up his glasses in a way that Hyuuga found somewhat pretentious.

(Even though Hyuuga wore glasses, he wasn't _that_ kind of nerd, though if judging by anything, it seemed that this boy was.)

"I'm Ryuugazaki Rei," he said. "I was just introducing myself to Serizawa-san here, as he is the most esteemed senpai of Haruka-senpai. We were talking about the theories of sports medicine. Have you heard of the new development that was just announced the other day?"

Hyuuga had not and spent the next few minutes listening to an entirely too scientific description of what Rei described as "a beautiful mix between theory and practicality."

It was during Rei's discourse that Midorima, who had evidently been eaves-dropping, spoke up. "That's nonsense," he said. "There's no proof whatsoever that that sort of things works."

Hyuuga wanted to point out that Midorima wasn't exactly the king of who should determine proof or not, but he wisely held his tongue.

Instead of looking peeved at this interruption, Rei and Nao listened to Midorima's argument quite intently, and all three then continued into an intellectual debate that was far too advance for one of Hyuuga's level.

Even though he only understood half of what was being said, Hyuuga found himself rather entertained.

Maybe today wouldn't be so bad after all.

* * *

 **A/N: Hey, everyone! I hope you enjoyed this part. When I first started writing this, I wasn't even planning on including Hyuuga's POV, but I knew I wanted to write something about the megane, so he's just the megane character I ended up using! See you next time!**

 **~ J. Dominique**


	5. The Congregation of Red-Heads

_The Congregation of Red-Heads_

* * *

Akashi Seijuurou had finally arrived at the chosen picnic spot, expecting a peaceful and fun day with his friends, only to have it ruined.

By his estimations, the picnic spot had only been designed for a maximum of twenty people, yet over thirty currently occupied the space. This reduction of room led to heated exchanges, passionate arguments, and perhaps not-so-friendly mingling.

Before arriving, Akashi had instructed Murasakibara to save him a spot (as Murasakibara was never late when food was involved, and even often arrived early). However, with twice as many people as planned, there was little room to sit down and relax.

And Akashi, who already had a bit of a complex about his height (not that he would ever admit it), didn't like the idea of sitting down while being towered over by all the other much-taller athletes.

So it was because of his natural competitive instinct that Akashi remained standing and, most unfortunately, found himself in the midst of several loud red-heads.

Out of the group, Akashi only recognized Kagami Taiga. Akashi's feelings toward him were mixed: at one hand, he disliked him for his brashness and voracious appetite, reminiscent of Aomine's. On the other hand, he respected him and Kuroko for being able to work together as a team unlike any Akashi had put together.

Next, there was a lean boy with sharp teeth, who had introduced himself as Matsuoka Rin. Beside him was his former teammate, a boy with bright orange hair, who was called Momotarou.

There was also another red-haired boy, with an energy not unlike Kagami's, and between him and Rin, was a pink-haired boy with a friendly smile. They introduced themselves as Asahi Shiina and Shigino Kisumi, respectively.

The group was currently discussing the latest Life of a Rat sequel, a series Akashi had refused to see due to its ridiculous premise. Akashi preferred the classics (which he discussed with Midorima and Reo) and even sometimes found himself enjoying horror (which he shared with Kuroko). However, the people before him were clearly the action and drama types, and Akashi was sure he'd only be met with blank stares if he mentioned the last movie he'd seen in the theatre.

It was during the group's lively debate that someone else joined them. Also red-haired, he introduced himself as Momotarou's brother.

Although the conglomeration of varying shades of red hair was beginning to get to Akashi, what disturbed him most was the name of the brother: Mikoshiba Seijuurou.

Seijuurou was not a rare name, so Akashi shouldn't be surprised to meet someone with the same name, and he was sure the kanji would be different, yet once again, that flare of competitiveness rose in him.

The other Seijuurou was in many ways the opposite of Akashi. He was abrasive, overly-friendly, and quite similar to his brother in the fact that they both confessed their undying love to a certain magenta-haired girl (who politely refused in a way that suggested she'd had practice before).

Akashi briefly wondered what he'd done to have to endure this spectacle. Perhaps this was retribution for choosing to spend _hanami_ with his friends rather than his father's conglomerate. Yet at that thought, Akashi dismissed it. He couldn't keep blaming his father. He was his own person; he made his own choices.

He was changing, and spring was supposed to be the perfect time for that.

So Akashi took a deep breath and stepped forward.

* * *

 **A/N: Hi, guys! Hope you enjoyed this installation of the story.**

 **Thanks so much for reading!**

 **~ J. Dominique**


	6. Two Types of People

_Two Types of People_

* * *

In Kirishima Ikuya's opinion, there were only two types of people in life: those whose efforts were readily rewarded, and those who had to work tirelessly to get anything they wanted.

Of course, he knew that everything wasn't so cut and dry, but in the end, the two categories held firm.

All his life, Ikuya had been surrounded by people who could fit into these categories.

His rival and inspiration — Nanase Haruka. Yes, Haru was dedicated to swimming and he couldn't have gotten to where he is without hard work, but he would never understand the desperate drive people like Ikuya or Hiyori had — every step Ikuya took was a step that Haru had passed long ago.

It was the same with his brother, Natsuya. Although a large majority of his brother's talent was due to his difficult regimen, he was still leagues above Ikuya, who had to scrape and crawl his way to the top. Natsuya had always been bothered by Haru's cavalierness, but he wasn't aware that his talents allowed him to sometimes share that attitude. The knowledge that, with his strength, he could do anything and go anywhere.

Of course, Ikuya's relationship with both had improved, but it would take more than a few months to break up the years of simmering resentment held inside him.

When Makoto had first invited him to _hanami_ , Ikuya had actually been looking forward to it. It would be nice to hang out with his old teammates, he'd thought, after all that happened. But then Natsuya had insisted on tagging along — "I'm in Japan right now," he'd said, "so of course I should enjoy its greatest tourist lure. And to further complicate things, when they'd arrived at the flower-viewing spot, they'd found another rowdy group present.

Eventually, Makoto had suggested that the two groups share the spot, and at that point, Ikuya had considered returning home, but Hiyori had managed to convince him to stay. They were already there, so why not . . . test out the waters?

However, in Ikuya's current situation, he was almost wishing he'd followed his first instinct.

For the last hour, Ikuya had been observing the two groups merging and had made the conclusion that like called to like, even unconsciously. For example, the red-heads had made a boisterous group, only interrupted by the calming voice of a dark pink-haired boy with a commanding demeanor. It also seemed like the megane had began a debate of theoretical propositions, something Hiyori had luckily escaped.

But now, much to Ikuya's horror, it seemed like the angst-driven group had been unknowingly drawn to each other.

Hiyori often teased Ikuya, saying he was always overthinking things, and that's what made him "angsty." (Ikuya also had reason to believe that Hiyori was also an overthinker, despite his sunny disposition.) If overthinking was a requirement for angst, then it seemed like everyone in this current group possessed it — as no one was willing to speak up first.

Ikuya only recognized one other person, a person that never failed to raise the competitive streak inside him.

Matsuoka Rin.

The only person who could light a fire in Haru's eyes.

It was true that in the past, Ikuya had tried to steal that spot from Rin, thinking that if he worked hard enough, maybe Haru would view him as a true rival, too. But in the end, he realized . . . he would never stand at the same level as Rin.

But that was okay.

It was funny. Haru had stuck to only swimming free for so long that you started to wonder if that was truly _free_. But then he'd learned the rest of the strokes, the individual medley — just so he could swim with Ikuya. What a surprise it was to turn his head and see Haru in the lane beside him.

It wasn't the same as what his relationship with Rin was, but that didn't matter. Ikuya decided it was enough.

But even if Ikuya was beginning to come to terms with everything, that didn't make this current situation any less uncomfortable.

The two people Ikuya didn't know must've been from the other group — the basketball players. One had short, dark blue hair accompanied with tan skin. The other had the looks of a model, with smooth black hair and a beauty spot under his right eye.

None of the four people present seemed to want to break the silence.

And yet, Ikuya felt a strange connection with them. The feeling that all of them had something in their past, something that held them back . . . but also drove them forward.

The afternoon would not be nearly enough time for the four to reveal their stories, but somehow, Ikuya didn't mind.

Those with talent. Those without.

Were there really any differences between the two?

For the first time, Ikuya wanted to know. He'd always placed people like Haru and his brother on pedestals, viewing them from afar — untouchable. But maybe that wasn't always true.

Maybe . . . the people before him could teach him of their trials, whether they possessed the natural talent or if they had to claw their way up.

Listening to other people's sob stories had been something Ikuya always hated, especially when Asahi used to do it. But today, he felt surprisingly open. Maybe it was the strange kinship he felt with these people — whose names he'd later learn as Aomine Daiki and Himuro Tatsuya — or the fact that it _was_ spring.

And if the beautiful, fluttering cherry blossoms weren't enough to make you want to change, what was?

* * *

 **A/N: Hello! I hope you enjoyed this part. When I first developed this story, I put together "groups" of people with similarities. Of course, since both series share a certain element of drama, an angst-ridden group was necessary. I'm not too familiar with Ikuya's character yet, but I hope that I portrayed him well. Any comments or thoughts you have would be appreciated! We have about three more chapters in this story, so please look forward to them!**

 **Until next time!**

 **~ J. Dominique**


	7. The Competition Only Kise Knows

_The Competition Only Kise Knows_

* * *

While most of Kise Ryouta's teammates only felt competitiveness in the area of sports, Kise had another dimension where he felt the need to stand at the top — and that was looks.

Kise had always prided himself as the pretty one on the team. At Teikou, the only one who could've toppled him would've been Akashi, but Akashi had been content in his position as captain. In Kaijou, Kise had once again been content to be known as both the ace and the model of the team. Kasamatsu-senpai wasn't bad-looking (though Kise had suggested once that he trim his eyebrows, only to receive a jab to the side), and Moriyama might've had fans if he wasn't so forward himself, but in the end, Kise had undoubtedly been at the top.

That was why, in situations like this, Kise felt threatened. When he first arrived at the _hanami_ spot and realized that they were to be joined with a group of swimmers, he'd automatically searched out the possible competitors.

First was a boy he distantly knew. It was Murasakibaracchi's sidekick, Himuro Tatsuya. Kise did a quick interview with Murasakibaracchi and found out that "Muro-chin" did indeed receive love letters on a daily basis, but he usually turned them down. This was enough for Kise to discount Himuro; he clearly didn't have enough confidence in his looks — like something was holding him back.

The next two Kise targeted went by the names Nanase Haruka and Tachibana Makoto. He quickly dismissed Nanase as a competitor; the boy kept staring at the nearby river with a strange look of . . . infatuation? on his face. Even if he possessed above-average looks, no girl would want a boy who wouldn't pay attention to her.

The other boy, however, required a closer look. While Nanase had a cool, mysterious aura, Tachibana had the looks of a boy-next-door, something Kise knew that girls would go crazy over. Despite his height, however, he cowered next to Nanase, and his cheeks were lightly dusted with a pink color akin to the falling cherry blossoms.

Kise eventually moved on. Even if Tachibana had an irresistible boyish charm, it was unlikely he would ever make the first move, therefore taking him out of the competition.

He eyed one glasses-wearing boy, but as soon as he heard him speak, a shiver ran through him, and he practically ran away. Something was _wrong_ with that voice.

Kise surveyed the rest of the group — nope, not with those teeth — and definitely not, not with that stag beetle kit — hm, maybe, but no too angsty — self-proclaimed genius? No way.

It was after Kise was nearly satisfied with his position at the top that he suddenly felt a threatening aura behind him.

He swung around to face —

It was a boy with pink hair. At first glance, Kise was certain he was better-looking, but there was something about this boy . . .

The boy smiled, completely oblivious. "Hello! I haven't met you. My name is Shigino Kisumi."

Kisumi? A flare of irritation rose in Kise. "Kise Ryouta," he replied after a moment.

"Oh!" The boy's eyes crinkled with laughter. "It's almost like my name!"

Kise had to bite back a scathing response. He _hated_ people like this.

(Although if Kise was honest to himself, he knew why it bothered him so much.)

"I heard you were a basketball player," Kisumi continued. There was a glint in his eyes that suggested he wasn't as innocent as he seemed.

"Oh?" Kise kept his voice light. "Do you play as well?"

The boy brightened. "Yep. I play small forward. What about you?"

Kise had to stuff down his annoyance. "I'm the ace," he said.

"Really? Awesome! You still in high school? I go to Hidaka now. You should consider joining!"

Kise had heard that Kurokocchi was now going to Hidaka, and he, too, had considered the place. But . . .

Kise let a smile slip onto his face. Even if acting wasn't his strong point, he was still a model. "Maybe we should have a match," he said. "Just so I can see how good they're coaching you over there."

Kise had expected the boy to cower at this challenge, but to his surprise, Kisumi stood up straighter, a grin that was a lot less benevolent than before on his face. "It would be my honor to show you the fruits of my work," he said, almost haughtily.

A rare spark lit inside of Kise, something he usually only felt with his fellow Generation of Miracles.

His original irritation was dissolving into a feeling of pure . . . excitement.

He was excited to play this boy who shared not just a few similarities with himself. He was excited to show Kisumi just how good he could be when he wanted. And he was excited to maybe, just maybe, have found someone who could stand at his level.

Kise grinned, a true smile this time. "You're on."

By the end of the day, Kise had found someone else he could grant with the honorific "-cchi."

* * *

 **A/N: This chapter was really fun to write, haha. So, the glasses-wearing boy that Kise ran away from was Hiyori. They share the same Japanese voice actor, Kimura Ryouhei. Also, the other people he evaluated (in case you couldn't tell :P) were Rin (with the shark teeth), Momotarou (with the stag beetles), Sousuke/Ikuya (angsty can be applied to many people . . .), and Asahi (the "tensai").**

 **Thanks for reading! See you next time!**

 **~ J. Dominique**


	8. Three Twos

_Three Twos_

* * *

It would be prudent to introduce another rather-overlooked pair: Sakurai Ryou and Nitori Aiichirou.

The two were generally not the most out-going, but they both had similar dispositions that had drawn them together. For one, they both had senpai they admired and aspired to be. For another, both seemed to have issues with assuming things that were not true and taking the blame for anything that went wrong. And lastly, both possessed a rare competitive side that showed itself in only the most dire situations.

Although, in this case, the two's conversations mostly consisted of bragging of their senpai and trying to prove that theirs was better.

* * *

Another interesting pair would be that of the two self-proclaimed geniuses.

At first glance, the two seemed nothing alike. One had spiky bright-red hair and an infectious energy. The other had straight black hair and pale skin. He held a small notebook in front of him, pen in hand.

"You look like the bookish type," said Asahi Shiina. Being the complete opposite of "bookish," his judgment was solely based on the fact that the black-haired boy held a book.

If Izuki Shun wore glasses, this would be the moment when he pompously adjusted them. However, Izuki's vision was basically flawless. (Sometimes, he envied Hyuuga.)

So instead Izuki snapped his notebook shut and said, "I am the Master of Puns. Hey, did you hear about the guy whose whole left side was cut off?"

Asahi's eyes widened. "Whoa, really? Are you serious? What happened?"

Izuki smirked. "Don't worry. He's all right now."

It would take a great many years before Asahi understood that this was, in fact, a pun.

* * *

In another corner of the _hanami_ spot, a third curious duo had come together. These two almost appeared similar at first — both had cheerful smiles and amiable airs, but those sunny dispositions hid a much different side.

Kiyoshi Teppei and Hazuki Nagisa would not consider themselves schemers or manipulative in any way — and it's true that their motives were often benevolent — and yet they both possessed a keen sense for how people worked.

Often, Kiyoshi didn't even realize when he was doing it — sometimes Hyuuga called him an airheaded idiot because he seemed to float through life without having a clue about what was going on. But however careless he seemed, he was able to identify the potentials of his teammates and even if he was unaware of it, he pushed them in the right direction.

Nagisa, on the other hand, enjoyed deliberately messing with people, especially Rei. He took it upon himself to be the jokester of the group and to keep everyone on their toes. And while his teasing appeared harmless at first, Nagisa was actually quite adept at getting what he wanted.

Neither would probably ever know these things about the other, but that didn't matter, because they'd still walk away that day having had fun.

* * *

 **A/N: Hi, everyone! I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Only one more to wrap things up!**

 **Thanks so much for reading!**

 **~ J. Dominique**


	9. Beginnings

**Author's Note: Hi, guys! This is the last chapter. Please enjoy!**

* * *

 _Beginnings_

* * *

The day was finally coming to an end. Usually, Haru looked forward to going homem snacking on mackerel and being able to take his nightly bath before bed, but today, for some reason, he was almost wishing the day would go on.

The day had been strange, so there should've been no reason Haru felt this way. For one, he kept feeling a ringing in his head when one of the basketball players kept apologizing for every minor thing. Makoto, too, had admitted that he felt awkward with the green-haired boy's companion: a black-haired boy who laughed far too easily. Sousuke, Haru's semi-rival in personality, kept circling a glasses-wearing boy who was accompanied by a pun-making idiot. Momotarou, one of Rin's old teammates, was also seen having a tense eating contest with a purple-haired giant.

As if these things weren't odd enough, he'd met Kuroko Tetsuya again, the boy who had asked him for advice on the beach during Golden Week. The two hadn't spoken much during that vacation, other than awkwardly introducing themselves.

When he'd first met the boy, Haru had the feeling that they were similar. Although the boy had seemed lost at the time, he now assumed a quiet, self-assured air.

That same comfortable air that had been between them was still present, and Haru found himself speaking more than usual to the blue-haired boy. Kuroko introduced him to Kagami, who had flown over from America to visit, and some of his previous senpai, Hyuuga Junpei, Kiyoshi Teppei, and Izuki Shun. Although the original team was mostly disbanded, they still had a companionable air, much like the one Haru and Makoto shared with their high school and middle school teammates.

Then there were the rivals. For Haru, it had been Rin and Ikuya, the rest of Samezuka, and now people like Albert Wåhlander and Kaede Kinjou. For Kuroko, he had a group he called the Generation of Miracles, whom he talked about with a soft smile on his face.

Teammates and rivals.

In a way, there was so much difference between the two, and in another, they were almost the same. As Haru got older, the line between the two blurred even more, and he wondered if it would someday disappear entirely.

It was night, and everyone was beginning to leave in ones and twos and threes. Haru reflected over the day's events: like when the food ran out in the first hour, and Momotarou and the purple-haired giant volunteered to get more, but had to be accompanied by Nitori and Himuro to keep them in check (some of the girls had volunteered to bring food, but they were quickly shot down for various reasons); or when the wind blew some cherry blossoms straight into Kagami's mouth. How Asahi was still struggling to come up with a pun of his own, goaded on by Izuki, and Kisumi and Kise Ryouta had suddenly left for the nearest basketball court.

Akashi had pulled a shōgi board out of nowhere, but only three people really challenged him: Midorima (who looked used to losing), Rei (who cried out in frustration when the strategy theory he'd read online didn't work), and Nao-senpai (who accepted his defeat with grace). Nagisa had managed to find another victim to his teasing in Sakurai, Natsuya and Hyuuga complained about the troubles of leadership, and Rin had somehow become friends with the surly-looking Aomine. Then Sousuke and Kiyoshi had bonded in overcoming their injuries, and Ikuya and Hiyori tried to stay detached, but even they couldn't resist Takao's persistence. Kuroko appeared and disappeared, giving Makoto and Mikoshiba Seijuurou a fright every time.

Haru always thought that it was swimming that brought him together with other people. But now, talking with Kuroko, he realized that there were other, broader ways to meet people.

Kuroko and his teammates had forged a bond through basketball. And Haru and Kuroko had met simply through their shared love of sports.

Maybe someday he'd meet people who loved volleyball or baseball. Maybe he'd become friends with fellow mackerel-worshippers or people with a strange artistic side.

It was freeing, in a way. To know that the world out there was vaster than the ocean, deeper than the waves. And that, no matter how hard he searched, there would always be surprises underneath the surface.

* * *

 **A/N:** **So this chapter alludes to the fact that there are some voice actor overlaps (Suzuki Tatsuhisa, who voices Makoto and Takao; Hosoya Yoshimasa, who voices Sousuke and Hyuuga; and Suzumura Kenichi who voices Momotarou and Murasakibara). Also, if some of you are confused by what Haru means when he mentions meeting Kuroko during Golden Week, that's because that's the story I wrote for the zine. This is basically a continuation of that.**

 **I hope you've enjoyed this small story. Once again, thanks for reading, and if you have any comments, please let me know. I'd love to hear them!**

 **~ J. Dominique**


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